wherein, there is a lot of puking and some netflix watching
by celaenos
Summary: When Regina gets the flu, Henry employes Emma to come take care of her. (Swan Queen Week prompt: caregiving.)


"For this much banging on the door, somebody better be dead, or sucked into a weird portal!" Emma yells as she pulls open the apartment door. Her face twists into a frown as she is greeted by a frantic looking Henry. "Kid? Is everything okay?"

"No!" He says, grabbing out at Emma's arms, "come with me."

"Wait..." Emma reaches out and snags her jacket before Henry pulls her into the hall. "Kid, what... hang on what's wrong?"

"Mom." He says with an exasperated sigh, "she's sick. Like, really sick, and she's driving me nuts and you have to take care of her."

It's then that Emma finally notices the stuffed backpack full of clothes and school books slung over his shoulder. She narrows her eyes at him, and he has the decency to look ashamed. "Are you seriously trying to get me to go stay at your house until Regina is better, and planning on staying here?" She crosses her arms over her chest, "that's not happening kid. The last person your mom wants taking care of her when she's sick is me."

"No it's not, it's Grams." Henry says brightly. "She hates you way less."

"Henry..."

"Ma, she's really sick, I think it's the flu or something. I don't think she should be left alone, she's got like a fever and she keeps puking and..." he shudders, Emma doesn't blame him. "I've got school, plus, you're the adult."

"Do I seem adult-like to you?"

Henry frowns, "not usually." He admits with a grin.

Emma smacks his arm, "hey!"

"You asked!"

Emma attempts to glare at him, but can't manage to hold it for very long. She reaches out and musses up his hair, then smacks him lightly again for good measure. "Go to school, you can sleep here." Before he can interrupt Emma holds out her hand, "yeah, yeah, I'll go check on Regina. Go to school."

Henry reaches up and places his hand on Emma's shoulder, "good luck. It's super gross. She's thrown up like six times since midnight." Emma shudders as he runs off, a sadistic little grin on his face that surely he gets from Regina. She shakes her head and pulls out her phone, texting David and telling him to hold down the fort at the station for the day. She's no good with sick people, maybe she _should _send Mary Margaret in her place. It would prove for an interesting afternoon if nothing else. Her phone dings before she even gets down to the sidewalk.

_'you should probably bring soup and crackers or something, and a change of clothes. She's gonna be sick a while I think. DON'T SEND GRAMS.'_

Emma sighs, "friggin' kid." She mutters under her breath, and goes back up to the apartment to find some crackers.

…

…

When Emma arrives at Regina's house half an hour later, she knocks on the door, waits, tries the bell, then gives up and just goes inside. "Regina?" She calls out, "Henry sent me. I've got crackers." She glances down at the box in her hands, "they're a little stale, but they taste alright. I tested one. Or five." Hesitantly, Emma walks through the house, not finding Regina anywhere downstairs, she groans and kicks the bottom step with her boot. "Regina?" She calls out again, louder this time. No answer. Emma sighs, "hey, I'm coming upstairs, don't like... shoot a fireball at my head or something okay?" Emma climbs the stairs, passing Henry's room, the bathroom, and heading to what she thinks is Regina's bedroom. The door is open, and the smell of sickness hits her. Emma grimaces, and curses Henry for making her do this.

"Regina?" Emma knocks on the doorframe, "Hey, um... oh _shit._" Regina is curled up on the edge of her bed, a small (full, Emma notes with a grimace) garbage can in front of her. Her normally perfectly coiffed hair is completely disheveled and slick with sweat, and she's wearing some sort of silky pjs that are stuck to her front. Emma's never seen her look worse. It oddly makes her like Regina more, finally, she looks human underneath all the snark and power suits. "God, you look awful." She says. Regina groans in response and leans over, puking some more. It's horrible and violent and on instinct, Emma reaches out and pulls her hair back. Keeping her own face as far away as she can, and trying not to breathe. "Wow," she says once Regina finally seems done. "The kid wasn't lying, you really are sick."

"Your ability to state the obvious is once again exceptional Miss Swan."

The fact that Regina manages to sound somehow dignified as she flops back into the bed, looking like shit is ridiculous. Emma bites the inside of her cheek and stares at her for a minute, then grins. "So, you think I'm exceptional?" She jokes.

"Go away Miss Swan." Regina orders. It lacks it's normal punch and Emma only smiles at her. Regina glares then rolls over, effectively ignoring her. Emma waits a minute or two, then leans forward, trying not to breathe in, and sees that Regina has already fallen asleep. Emma sighs, and glances down at the garbage can. _Henry owes her._ She shucks her jacket, tossing it over a chair in the corner, and lifts the can up, holding it out with her fingertips as she walks into the bathroom adjoined with Regina's bedroom. She quickly disposes of the contents, nearly adding to them herself, and flushes the toilet. Chucking the can into the tub, she rinses it out by dumping different tubes of soap Regina has in her bathroom. They all look expensive, Emma squeezes out nearly half of one bottle and makes use of the removable shower head to avoid having to scrub anything. She pats down the garbage bin, and places it back beside Regina's bed before heading downstairs.

Emma realizes she's never really gotten to see much of Regina's house before. The little time she has spent in it previously, she's always been accompanied by Regina, snooping wasn't an option. Emma chances Regina's wrath and takes a good look around, going into every room and opening every drawer she can find. There isn't much of great interest to Emma, other than stuff Henry has clearly made for Regina. But it's nice to just see Regina's _stuff_. Emma would always look through every new foster home, inspecting everything she could get her hands on. People's random crap can tell a lot about them as a person. Regina mostly has things related to Henry, which Emma could have guessed already, but it's nice to see their lives up close.

After she's gone through every room downstairs, Emma grabs a popsicle from the freezer, Regina's laptop, and heads back up to her room. Regina is awake, and curled into herself like her stomach hurts. She looks impossibly young all the sudden and Emma freezes in the doorway.

"Why are you still here?" Regina snaps after a minute.

Emma jumps, unaware that Regina could see her, and steps into the room. "I'm under strict orders to make sure you don't die. Henry was worried."

"I don't need babysitting Miss Swan, I have the flu, I'm not _dying_."

"People die of the flu." Emma says casually, and flops down into the chair, pulling her legs up and tucking them under her.

"Very reassuring, thank you." Regina says dryly.

"Well, _you_ won't die from it." Emma says. "I doubt anything as ordinary as the flu could kill you." Regina looks at her oddly, Emma frowns and considers it fever related. "Want a popsicle?" She asks. Regina grimaces at the sight. "It might help," Emma tries to defend, "it'll at least make your mouth taste better." Regina manages a pretty good glare in response to that. "Alright sorry. Do you have medicine?"

"No."

"Whale didn't give you anything?"

Regina pulls herself into an upright sitting position, leaning back against her headboard. And Emma can see just how much effort that one act takes, she really is sick. "I haven't gone to see that idiot." Regina states primly. "I have the flu, there isn't much in the way of doctors once you actually get it. I'll be perfectly fine in a day or so."

Emma sighs, "well, we're gonna need lots of movies then. You got a netflix account?" She opens Regina's laptop and turns it on. "I'm gonna need the password."

"Give me that!" Regina yells and looks like she is going to attempt jumping out of her bed, but thinks better if it. "Now! You've checked on me, your promise to Henry is intact and I am fine. Now you may leave."

"Can't," Emma shrugs, "the deal was I stay till you're not sick anymore. He has a bunch of clothes packed and is staying with Mary Margaret and David. You scarred him off." She grins at Regina, and tries a few passwords before glancing back up at her. "Really? _HenryMills_? If anyone wanted to rob you, it'd be real easy."

"No one is that stupid." Regina snaps back. Emma looks up at her just as her face turns green again, and she lunges for the garbage bin. Emma jumps up and catches her hair, trying not to breathe. At this rate she's gonna puke just because Regina is.

It's nasty as hell, but from what Henry's told her, she's thrown up nearly once an hour for most of the night; there can't be anything left in her stomach. She's dry heaving, and she looks worse than when Emma arrived.

Regina finishes, and Emma reaches out to grab a full glass if water from the nightstand. "Here, you need to drink this." Regina shakes her head and tries to lean back, but Emma holds her in place. It's easy. Too easy, and a sign of just how weak Regina is right now. "I mean it, your crazy dehydrated. Drink it. "

"No."

"Regina, come on."

"No." It comes out almost in a whine and Emma thinks she must be imagining things. "I'll just throw up back up."

"That's okay. Better actually. Your body needs it and then puking won't hurt as much."

Regina groans and tries to roll away again, but Emma, grips her arm and sticks the glass in front of her mouth. Regina narrows her eyes, and yanks the glass away from Emma, "I can manage to drink myself. I'm not an infant." She sips it demurely, and Emma stands there and waits until she's drunk at least half the glass. Henry would be very upset if she died, and Emma can admit that she'd be bored if nothing else. Teasing Regina is fun now that she doesn't try to kill or poison her anymore.

Emma goes back to the chair and retrieves Regina's laptop, opening her netflix account. "Want a movie, tv show, romcom, horror, super sad... what?"

"I want you to leave and let me sleep."

"That's boring." Regina glares at her and Emma sighs, not wanting to push her luck. "Fine, I'm hungry anyway." Emma drops the laptop gently on Regina's bed as she passes and heads downstairs. "Yell if you need anything!" She shouts over her shoulder.

Emma entertains herself for the rest of the day, making great use of Regina's fully stocked refrigerator and pantry and watches a marathon of _So You Think You Can Dance_. She even attempts to mimic one of the break dancing moves, but nearly breaks a lamp and her neck. Occasionally, she climbs back upstairs to make sure Regina is still alive, and empties her garbage bin twice more. Around ten, she brings the clean bin back to Regina, sets a full glass of water and a few crackers on the nightstand, and goes to crash in her guest room. Emma suspects that Regina has been awake every time she's checked on her, but she doesn't push. Mostly, she just wants to be alone when she's sick too.

Before she shuts off the light, Emma texts Henry to say that Regina is still sick but seems mostly her usual annoying self. Henry tells her to be nice.

"I've been way nice." Emma mutters, and smacks the light off, slinking down under the covers and getting comfortable.

…

…

When Emma wakes up, it's sometime around six am, and she almost rolls back over and crashes for a few more hours; but she hears moaning coming from down the hall. Not the good kind. She throws the covers back and runs over to Regina's room just in time to yank her short hair back as she vomits. "Shit, you're burning up." Emma notes as she brushes Regina's hair back. "Like... _shit_, Regina I think I should take you to the hospital right now." Emma holds her palm to Regina's forehead, then her cheeks, one of her foster mothers used to do that. You're supposed to check both or something. "This... this is not good. I'm gonna go put on pants and then we're going to the hospital."

"_No_." Regina says forcefully.

"Regina come on, this isn't okay."

"No." She repeats.

Emma glares at her, then remembering the time she was about eleven, and one of her foster brothers had an incredibly high fever. Her foster mom (that same one come to think of it, Mrs... Handly? Heedy? Something with an H) grabbed him and put him in a cold shower until it went down some.

"Right, well then, this is gonna suck for both of us." Emma says and grabs Regina's shoulders, hauling her upright.

"Emma, _no._"

"Relax, no hospital. Even though they can definitely do a better job at this than me." Emma half drags Regina into the bathroom, and turns the shower on freezing cold. Regina is shaking against her and Emma's contemplating just dragging her out to the car anyway. She's _not _equipped for this. Instead, she gets a good hold of Regina, and sits down under the stream of water, Regina practically in her lap. They both start shivering instantly, and Regina screams weakly at her in protest; but Emma ignores her, holding her in place and hating everything about this. "It's this or the hospital, you picked." She says through chattering teeth.

"I... did... not." Regina is shivering violently, and Emma feels horrible and freezing. This might have been the worst idea she's ever had. She wraps her arms tighter around Regina, who is shaking so hard it's a little frightening. The full force of the cold water is hitting her, Emma is at least shielded by Regina's body.

"Couple more minutes, then I'll get a thermometer. If you've got a crazy fever, I'm gonna take you to the hospital."

It's the fact that Regina doesn't bother answering, not even with a retort that worries Emma. They stick it out a few more minutes, but Emma doesn't know the rules of hypothermia or how any of this works and she's freezing and Regina looks really pale. Emma shifts their bodies, resting Regina against the side of the wall, and crawls forward, turning the water to lukewarm. She does know that going from super hot, to super cold, to hot again is bad.

"Feel any better?" She asks a minute or two later, after turning the water slightly warmer again. Regina only nods. "Okay, stay here. I'll get a thermometer." Soaking wet and in a tank top and underwear, Emma steps out of the shower and starts digging through Regina's cupboard. "Ah! Found it!" She declares happily a few minutes later, and steps back in the shower, jamming it into Regina's mouth.

"It's 102.0. That's high..."

Regina rolls her head from side to side. "It's alright. As long as it doesn't go back up."

"Do you want to stay in the water? I can turn the shower off, let you take a cool-ish tub?"

"Okay." Regina mumbles. Emma has never seen her this miserable. She jumps up, filling the tub they've been sitting in for over half an hour; keeping the water at a cool-ish, lukewarm temperature.

"Need help getting your clothes off?" She asks, once she realizes Regina hasn't moved. That gets her a glare.

"_Absolutely not_."

"Well... you're not doing it."

Regina sighs, her voice turning soft, "why are you even here?" she asks.

"Cause our kid asked me to be. And clearly, you need me."

"I do _not _need you." Regina insists, the softness in her voice disappearing instantly.

"You so do." Emma says with a grin. "The world's not gonna implode if you admit that. It's fine, we're like... sorta friends now. If I can help with puke and stuff, I can help with clothes."

"Get out of the bathroom Emma!"

"Oh come off it, you can barely move around yourself. I was just offering to help. It's not like it's nothing I haven't seen before." Regina merely glares. It's nice to see some life back in her, Emma feels less worried already. "Fine, I'm gonna change and make some coffee, are you up for breakfast? Applesauce maybe? Or a banana?"

"No thank you." Regina bites out.

"Okay, I'll be back up in a few. Here's the bin if you need it."

Emma leaves Regina to her own devices and sheds her tank top the minute she's out of the bathroom. It's begun to stick to her uncomfortably. Since she basically just got a shower, she doesn't bother taking another one, just pats herself dry, yanks on some sweatpants and a t-shirt, pulls her wet hair up into a bun and heads downstairs. Making a big breakfast for herself seems rude since Regina would smell it, so Emma pours herself some cereal and scarfs it down. She finds a tray and gets some ginger ale, a banana, applesauce, crackers, and a two mugs of coffee and carries them back upstairs.

Regina is still in the bathroom. Emma sets the tray down on the nightstand and rips the sheets off the bed. Tossing them in what she thinks is the laundry basket, she searches around for a few minutes before finding the linen closet. By the time she's started making Regina's bed, she can hear her moving around in the bathroom; which she takes as a good sign. She finds Regina's laptop charger and plugs it in, setting the laptop up at the end of the large king sized bed.

"You alright in there?" She calls out, "need clothes?"

A muffled, "no" comes back and then Regina opens the door, moving slowly but looking significantly better than she had not two hours ago. She's dressed in another silk pajama set, her short hair brushed back and her skin isn't quite as pale. Emma jumps up to help her, but Regina waves her off. "I can walk Emma."

"I brought food. You've got to eat something, even if you're not hungry."

Regina glances down at the tray of food and grimaces, but holds her hand out, "banana."

"Want to try coffee? Or want the ginger ale?" Emma asks as she hands the banana over. Regina takes a very small and tentative bite and climbs back into the bed. Resting back against the pillows Emma propped up with a sigh.

"Ginger ale."

They're quiet for a few minutes, and before Regina can start yelling at her, Emma leans forward and queues up a movie on her laptop. She opts for a romantic comedy. Laughter is supposed to be the best medicine and all that; and she doubts Regina would be into a dudebro, toilet humor type comedy film. If she's honest, she can only stand a few of them herself. Chancing Regina's wrath, Emma makes herself comfortable next to Regina on the bed, passing over the ginger ale without a word. Emma can feel Regina stiffen, but, either she's finally warmed up to Emma, or she's too tired and sick to care, but Regina doesn't say a thing. She merely takes a few small sips of the soda, and passes it back over with the half eaten banana.

They watch the entire film without Regina needing to use the garbage bin once. Emma counts it as a victory.

She makes Regina eat the rest of the banana and at least eight crackers while they watch the second movie; and she finally feels Regina relax next to her.

By the time the third movie is over, Regina hasn't thrown up since early that morning, and her temperature is down to 100.4. Henry calls Regina, done with school and wanting to check on her and Emma slips out to give her some privacy.

When she goes back to check on her a bit later, Regina is sound asleep. Emma clears the room of half eaten food and drinks, leaves the bin there just in case, and heads downstairs. Her phone rings as she enters the kitchen, and she grins once she sees that it's Henry.

"Sup kid."

"Mom says you're doing a great job."

"Really?" Emma asks, incredulously. "That doesn't sound like something she'd say."

"Well... not exactly like that, but it's what she meant. I know. I've lived with her my whole life."

"Ah, gotcha."

"She sounded a lot better."

"Yeah, I think she is. If you want to come home you can."

Emma can hear Ruby calling out something through the phone, Henry's walking past Granny's. "Okay, but Grams already made plans to make spaghetti, so I'll come after dinner."

"Sounds good, see you then." Emma clicks her phone off, and bored and with nothing else to do, cleans the entire kitchen. Then makes her way back upstairs and does some laundry, and cleans up the guest bedroom. She doubts she will be staying another night. By the time she makes it back up to Regina's room to check on her, it's nearly six. "Hey, you hungry?" Emma asks.

"I am actually." Regina says in surprise. "Is Henry here?"

"He said he'd come after dinner, Mary Margaret's making something." Emma shrugs, but... I can cook too. Or we can order something, or... there's lots of soup downstairs. I can make some chicken noodle."

"I'll do it." Regina says, and climbs out of her bed, slightly unsteady on her feet, but looking even more improved from the afternoon.

"Naw, I got it. But come on down if you want."

Regina shoots her a look, as if about to say something but changes her mind and follows Emma downstairs. Emma starts making soup and doesn't notice Regina staring at her clean kitchen. Not like it wasn't basically impeccable before. "Did you clean?"

"Yup, I did laundry too." Emma passes over a bowl of hot soup and climbs onto a stool next to Regina, her leg propped up next to her. She takes a sip and burns her tongue, hissing as she reaches for water.

Regina raises an eyebrow at her in amusement, and blows on her spoonful demurely.

"Oh shut up!" Emma whines and pinches her tongue. "It hurts."

"That's what you get for acting like a child."

Emma is about to yell back when the front door bursts open and Henry comes running through the house. "Mom! Ma! I'm home!" Emma turns and smiles at Regina, unsure of what to make of the way Regina's lips are twisting into a pained looking smile. Before she can ask her if she's alright, Henry sprints into the kitchen. "Are you better?" He asks Regina. The odd look on her face disappears, and she beams at Henry.

"Much. How was school?"

Henry starts talking a mile a minute about something Ava and Nicholas did during lunch. Emma mostly tunes him out, but Regina is watching him with rapt attention. Emma doesn't know how she does that all the time. She finishes her soup in silence and just watches the two of them together. Suddenly, Henry is out of the room, and Regina is looking at her. "Oh, shit sorry... what?" Emma asks, realizing Regina has been trying to get her attention.

"I said thank you." Regina says, a genuine (albeit small) smile on her face. Emma's too shocked to say much of anything, so she merely shrugs and jumps up, dumping her bowl in the sink.

"No prob." Regina is still looking at her funny, and she can hear Henry stamping back down the stairs. "You guys have a good night, call me if you need anything or feel worse or whatever." She says quickly. Regina's face falls and Emma doesn't know what to make of it. She slings her bag over her shoulder and all but bolts from the room and the odd look Regina is giving her. She did her job, Regina's alive, and much healthier than she had been a day ago. She hugs Henry on the way out, and leaves the two of them alone, walking out into the warm night air. She glances back and sees them in a window, Henry excitedly showing Regina something from school; and Emma can't help but feel a bit left out as she makes her way home alone.


End file.
